The holidays. They can be a time of love and laughter, Thanksgiving and celebration… Togetherness, generosity…

They can also remind us of loved ones who are no longer with us. They can be a time of grief and almost unbearable sorrow.

We lost two members of our family this year in the week leading into Thanksgiving, and it’s given me just a glimpse of how this time of year can carry with it a feeling of loss.

But God does not abandon us in our sorrow! Isaiah 53:4 says that he bears our grief and carries our suffering. We are not alone in our grief! From Psalm 34 we know that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit! He is our light and our hope!

We can so easily feel isolated in this darkness, but we have to remember that others have felt those same waves of sorrow. Some of them are in our own circle. They’ve also hungered for hope in a dark season, so don’t be afraid to lean on those people around you as you invite them to lean on you.

And remember too, that we love you and want to pray for your restoration. And as you listen today, allow these songs of hope and God's incredible love to sink into your spirit! We want you to absorb the lyrics about the peace of God that passes all human understanding! And we want you to know this… You are NOT alone.